Net neutrality receives FCC death sentence

Net neutrality was (predictably) killed. So, now what happens?

They did it. We knew it was coming back when Chairman Pai first unveiled his “Restoring Internet Freedom Act,” but the puppet Verizon® actually found success. For now, anyway.

In a 3-2 vote, the Federal Communications Commission overturned the Open Internet Order of 2015, and broke the internet as we know it — both literally and figuratively. While the death of net neutrality received immediate backlash across the web, the move to trade consumer protections for special corporate interests paves the way for throttling, censorship, and paid prioritization.

Ajit Pai, Turning Your Concerns into Comedy

Despite receiving over 24 million comments on the matter — the majority of which were in support of maintaining net neutrality laws — the final decision was made behind closed doors as the world watched live. Citizen concerns were derided in public spectacle, while outspoken dissent was blatantly ignored by the partisan majority. Ajit Pai in particular demonstrated to the public a total, unabashed contempt for the fears striking Americans.

In the days preceding the vote, Chairman Pai could be found mocking supporters of net neutrality in videos such as this one, where he clears the air that the repeal won’t stop you from Instagramming your meal.

In another video submitted exclusively to Gizmodo, Pai can be seen in a comedy sketch with Verizon Senior VP and Deputy General Counsel, Kathy Grillo. In the video, the Chairman jokes about his role as a Verizon shill planning the deconstruction of the internet for his telecom overlords.

Comedy sketch or not, his blatant condescension and disrespect towards the concerns of citizens in the face of his role is telling. Pai does not represent the will of Americans, instead, he’s proven to make decisions only at the behest of broadband conglomerates.

FCC Won the Battle, But the War Is Far From Over

While disconcerting that five individuals in a closed room have the ultimate say of the internet’s future, the final nail in the net neutrality coffin has yet to be struck. Legal recourse by way of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) can overturn the FCC’s vote and restore the open internet we know and love. Best of all, decisions made under the CRA cannot be reversed. So, if a majority in the House and Senate agreed that a open internet is the will of all Americans, Ajit Pai’s entire initiative would be for naught.

Do your part to protect the internet: join the Battle for the Net, a tool constructed by Fight for the Future, to easily contact Congress. Tell your local representatives to reverse net neutrality’s repeal by passing a “Resolution of Disapproval.” Sure, you can tweet and you can email, but phone calls are still the most effective way to make your voice heard. But hurry, Congress only has 60 days to overturn the FCC’s injudicious decision.

Should the push to Congress fail, the battle pivots to the local level. State attorney generals are already queuing-up to sue the FCC, while non-profit organizations including the ACLU and the EFF have committed to fighting for open internet freedom.

IPVanish continues to stand for online freedom and we know our followers do too. Our VPN service protects your internet connection from the biases of your ISP. Even in the face of the repeal, our team of brains and builders remain dedicated to preserving net neutrality.

We will never stop fighting for an open internet, and we hope you’re not throwing in the towel, either. Together, we can stop biased commercial censorship, superfluous fees, and targeted throttling from ever reaching the masses. Don’t sit idly by and allow Verizon, Comcast®, and AT&T® to kill the internet as we know it, contact Congress and fight back in the Battle for the Net.